1.
unable to sit still; restless; too anxious or excited to stay put
Describes an intense emotional state where one cannot remain calm — whether from excitement, worry, anticipation, or impatience. Literally 'cannot stay whether sitting or standing.'
居ても立っても居られなくなった。
I couldn't sit still any longer.
結果が気になって、居ても立っても居られない。
I'm so anxious about the results that I can't sit still.
友人の危険を知り、居ても立っても居られず、すぐに駆けつけた。
When I heard my friend was in danger, I couldn't sit still and rushed over immediately.
Literally 'cannot remain whether sitting (居ても) or standing (立っても)' — expressing that no position is comfortable because of overwhelming emotion. A vivid idiom for intense restlessness.
GRAMMAR:
Often followed by a verb of action showing what the person did as a result of their restlessness:
- 居ても立っても居られず、〜した — unable to sit still, I did ~
- 居ても立っても居られなくなって — becoming unable to sit still
COMMON TRIGGERS:
- Waiting for important results (exams, job applications)
- Hearing bad news about someone close
- Excitement before a major event
- Impatience when something is taking too long
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- じっとしていられない — can't stay still (simpler, less emphatic)
- そわそわする — to be restless; fidgety (more about visible behavior)
- 気が気でない — unable to focus due to worry